Improvement In School-Desks



formed on the sections F'.

UNITED STATES PATENT Darren.

ROBERT A. THOMPSON, OF BEAVER FALLS, PENNSYLVANIA.

lmrnovl-:Mlalxn'l IN SCHOOL-Desks.

Specification forming part of Letters Patent No. 133,551, dated December 1872.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, ROBERT A. THOMPSON, Of Beaver Falls, in the county of Beaver and State of Pennsylvania, have invented certain Improvements in School Furniture, of which the following is a specification:

My invention relates to improvements in the construction and operation of schooldesks; and the invention consists in so constructing the desks as that they may be readily adjusted to a greater or less height from the iioor of the school-room, in order that they may be made to conform to the various statures of the scholars, and thereby enable them to pursue their studies without having to do so in a strained or stooping position, as is frequently the case with rigid furniture unsuited to the stature of the scholar.

In the accompanying drawing, Figure 1 is a side elevation of my improved school-desk. Fig. 2 is a vertical section of the desk. Fig. 3 is a cross-section of one of the desk-standards.

F is a desk-standard, formed of cast metal or other suitable material. These standards are made in two sections, lower (F) and upper (F'.) The upper section is'formedwith semicircular tenons or tongues ff f, which iit into and slide up and down in corresponding grooves f' j' f', formed on the lower section F. Gis a slot cut through the center tenon f of standard F, and H is a square-headed bolt which ts the slot Gr and passes through the lower section F. g is a thumb-screw on the end of the bolt. The lower section F is also provided with legs or feet f," by which it is secured to the floor by screws in the usual way. The desk I is supported by these adjustable standardsone on each side-and may be raised or lowered by loosening the thumb-screws g and sliding the upper sections on the lower, and by again tightening up the thumb-screwsit can be secured in the desired position. J is the book-shelf, secured to the upper sections F', and K is the desk-back, secured in the same way as the book-shelf, viz, by screws passing through lugs or projections The front portion of the desk I is hinged and folds down, as shown in Fig. 1 of the drawing, and locks' may be provided to lock the book-shelf to the folded portion of the desk, and thereby forni a safe and convenient locker for keeping books, stationery, Ste. When raised, the desk is secured by means of pivoted supports or iies L impinging upon inclined or wedge-shaped blocks M,"secured on the under side of the folding portion of the desk. N is a pen and pencil drawer suspended beneath the bookshelf by means of slide-brackets or grooved bearings n, so constructed as to permit of the drawer being opened and closed, and yet prevent its being removed from the desk. The device for raising or lowering the desk is shown by Fig. 4 of thedrawing. It consists of two sections O 0'; the lower section O is formed `with a L-shaped foot, and is box-shaped throughout its length, so as to receive the upper ratchet-faced section O', which is made to travel up and down in the slides of the lower sections by means of a cam, P, pivoted to a disk formed on the lower section. The upper end of section O' is also provided with a T- shaped head. When it is desired to raise the desk this adjuster or cam-jack is placed een trally beneath it or beneath the drawer N. The thumb-screws g are then loosened and the cam P of the adjuster revolved to the right until the desk is raised to the desired height, when the thumb-screws are again tightened up and the adjuster removed. The desk is lowered in the same way by turning the cam P to the left hand. By this means it is obvious that the desk can be raised and lowered conveniently and altogether, so that each side will be in the same line horizont-ally without requiring separate adjustment and without disturbing what may be on the desk or spilling the ink from the wells.

Claim.

The adjustable standards F F', constructed as described, with slots G, bolts H, hinged desk I, and drawer N, the Whole constructed and operated in the manner and for the purpose set forth.

It. A. THOMPSON.

Witnesses:A y

S. Y. CALVIN, NEWTON ANTHONY. 

